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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25098868">a million degrees, feeling the heat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_vivere/pseuds/vix_vivere'>vix_vivere</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>gratsu week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bottom Natsu Dragneel, Couch Sex, Fluffy, Frottage, Gratsu - Freeform, Gratsu Week 2020, Multi, Smut, Sweet, Top Gray Fullbuster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:08:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,806</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25098868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_vivere/pseuds/vix_vivere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The war is over and it's a million degrees outside.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>gratsu week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Gratsu Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a million degrees, feeling the heat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p></p><div class="userstuff">
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">...</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"> </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">It’s a million degrees outside.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">And Natsu is beautiful, the way he revels in the heat, how it slides off his skin. He's a million degrees, too; a thousand suns all at once. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu walks around the city with no shirt on, grinning, baring his sharp teeth like he was born to do it. And what’s that all about, anyway? He has no right being so bright. Gray looks at him and feels the urge to put some glasses on. To put on some sunscreen. Go inside, put on some air conditioning. Summer takes its knife and drives it into Gray’s heart; there’s a satisfaction, when it happens, because at least then, there’s something to <em>do</em>. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">He thought he would feel satisfied, when summer was all over. But he doesn’t know where he’s supposed to go anymore or where the roads are supposed to lead.<br/>
</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">He strolls aimlessly until he finds a completely empty bench to stretch over. He licks at his popsicle, void of emotion, eyeing the passerbys. He’d been taking so many walks, these past few weeks, studying the city he’d never been able to properly enjoy. What’s he catching up on? Can you miss something you never even had? </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">A younger couple strolls by, laughing. Gray glares at them, his mood ruined now. Happy couples are stupid. He walks back to the guild and waits for Natsu to come so he can pretend he wasn’t waiting for Natsu to bust through the doors in the first place. Glamorous, all of it.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Eventually, Natsu busts through the guild. And they go on a mission with the team, just like old times. As if the war had never even happened in the first place.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">How nice.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"> </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">...</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"> </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Gray’s tapping angrily at the buttons of the TV remote when Natsu crashes through the door of their hotel room. He’s always crashing or banging or yelling and Gray has spent so long being subtle, being crafty and afraid and now he’s not sure what yelling really sounds like. Instead he pretends he’s engrossed in the reality show buzzing in front of him.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“This is a weird choice,” Natsu says suddenly, gesturing at the screen, mouth full of toast. How he acquired it? Gray has no idea, but he can see a second piece in his other hand. Gray despises it. He is trying very hard to watch the TV, thank you very much. All that crunching.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu all but pummels into the couch cushion next to him. “Lucy says this show is stupid.” Gray states. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Natsu is chewing so loudly, "</span> <span class="s1">Does she,”<br/>
</span></p>
  <p class="p2">“Yeah,” says Gray.</p>
  <p class="p2">“I mean, no offense or whatever. But I didn’t know you liked this kind of stuff.”</p>
  <p class="p2">Gray shoots him a look. “I don’t, I was just surfing through channels, all right? I’m going to put something else on.” He smashes his thumb against the remote before Natsu even has the chance to protest.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Did you have a bad day or something?” Natsu has a smile living inside him, the way he’s speaking, because he usually does, and he knows that Gray had a perfectly normal day. All they did was travel with the team on the job. And it's not like anything extremely crazy is going on, now that the war is over.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Yes. I went to get a popsicle at that one stand near the park and they were all out of strawberry.” Gray still doesn’t spare him a glance.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“</span> <span class="s2">No</span> <span class="s1">,” Natsu replies, horrified.</span></p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Yes. I had to eat peach.” </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I can’t believe this,” Natsu says. His eyebrows are furrowed. There are crumbs all over the couch. Gray eyes them irritatedly.</span> <span class="s1">They have a moment where all they can hear is the switching of sitcom to sitcom as Gray batters the up button on the remote in his futile search for distraction. Natsu goes on a heartwarming rant about how he’s going to get Gray a strawberry popsicle first thing tomorrow morning before the job and then says, “Huh, is it hot in here?” like they haven’t been sitting in what is basically an oven for the past hour in their shitty hotel room, in the middle of fucking July.<br/>
</span></p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“It’s beyond me why they don’t have air conditioning in this place. Plus it's not like you're helping it anyways, your magic is probably the main factor here.” Gray is not watching that bead of sweat slither down Natsu’s neck. He isn’t.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu groans loudly. “Well, hey it's not my fault because-“ Gray lost track of what he was saying and instead focuses on another trail of sweat forming on Natsu’s bicep. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Are you even listening to me?” Natsu’s voice is amused.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“No,” says Gray. He turns off the television.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“I like the longer hair. Very cool.” Natsu gives him puppy dog eyes. Gray watches him suspiciously.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“Thanks. But I’m not cool at all. In fact, I'm getting a little sweaty. It kind of sucks,”</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Then just use your magic,”<br/>
</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“Maybe I could,” Gray replies in his usual cool demeanor. “But I'd rather not waste my energy on something so stupid.”</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Well fine then, I'll just be here, showing off my rockin' bod and soaking in the heat.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">Gray lowers his eyebrows at him. “Sometimes you say words and I have to hear them.”</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Whatever,” cackles Natsu. “I’ll be here, shirtless and less hot because the heat doesn't affect me, and therefore suffering the least.” He gives a little waggle of his eyebrows and Gray smiles, despite himself. Natsu lights up, delighted.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“Wait, gimme the remote,” he says, and Gray grins and does not give him the remote. Instead he swings it out of reach and pretends to give it to him before faking him out. He feels so... happy around Natsu, laughing like this. It’s dark outside but he feels the sun on the inside of his bones, in the places that light has never even touched. He had to grow up so fast, becoming apart of something amazing and saving the world. And now he has none of that. He just has popsicles and couches full of crumbs.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu watches him deflate. “Oh, no no no,” he says as Gray moves to leave. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting like this for days now. You have to talk to me.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“I don’t have to talk to anyone,” Gray says venomously, getting up. Natsu practically barks at him, pulling his arm down towards the couch again. They are so close that Gray can see the sheen of sweat on Natsu’s nose. High definition, a sea of roaring color, a scream for all the right reasons.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“You don’t have to,” Natsu says passionately, earnestly, “but you can. I’m right here. Talk to me.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Gray lets Natsu’s breath hit his face, and all the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He drops his gaze to Natsu’s chest, just for a moment. Natsu’s eyes widen before Gray pushes away from him, even hotter.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“You know that's not how we do things." Gray replies sourly, stomping over to his resting place for the night, "I'm going to bed."</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Fine! Okay! Cool!” Natsu springs up and slams his hand on the table. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“Good night.” Gray tries for something kinder as he crawls into bed, and finds it lacking. He had waited for Natsu only to reject his attempts at conversation. He feels on fire (again). Does he enjoy it? Is that what it has to feel like? The city’s so hot, so full of people, and Gray feels so empty. He feels sticky and sad and nervous in this place.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">He eventually falls into a fitful sleep.<br/>
</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"> </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">...<br/>
</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"> </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Gray tosses and turns and when he wakes up in the middle of the night, he soon realizes that he probably won’t be able to go back to sleep.His dreams were full of fires and demons and Zeref. And Natsu. Almost killing Natsu with his bare hands. His bed is a puddle of sweat, sheets abandoned. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">He teeters into the tiny kitchen area of the hotel room and plugs in the tiny, singular fan provided in the room into the outlet, squatting in front of it, delirious. Wisps of black hair brush against his cheeks as he sighs. It’s not even cool air, it’s hot air that’s moving around. He doesn't want to use his magic; too afraid to hurt something (or, someone).<br/>
</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“I’m sorry it’s so hot.” A silhouette has appeared, the only light coming from the windows without blinds.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“It’s okay,” Gray half-whispers, raspy. He rubs his eyes and feels like a child.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“No, I know this sucks.” Natsu is sheepish. Almost quiet. </span> <span class="s1">“Come and sit here.” Natsu continues as he pats the spot next to him on the couch in show of a truce. </span></p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Ah,” breathes Gray, and Natsu smiles at him. Gray doesn't smile back.<br/>
</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">They sit in silence for a while. Gray picks at his fingernails and then resorts to vulnerability, at long last. “I don’t know who I am anymore.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">Natsu studies him, chewing the inside of his mouth.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“My life has been a war. I don’t know what it’s like to relax. I don’t know what I want, now that I’m allowed to want things.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu nods, thoughtful. They don't usually talk with words (only fists) but when they do, it can be meaningful. “You'll figure it out. You have all the time in the world.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“I know. I just-“ Gray picks at the loose string on his pants, now. “What if I’m over? Nothing makes me unique anymore. I’m not- I don’t have anything to run from, and part of me is bored, but I shouldn’t be-“ his voice is wavering, loud, uncomfortable- “I should be happy that it’s over! And I am, Natsu. I am. But I’m so scared that everything I am is just a battle. A battle that has ended.” </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“That’s deep,” says Natsu after a moment, and Gray punches his arm. He fake-yelps, laughing. “No, no, I’m joking! I’m bad at this sort of shit.” He clears his throat. “I don’t think you’re a war. Or whatever poetic thing you’re thinking of. You’re a great, brave person.” Natsu looks straight at him, unblinking. “I have no fires to start anymore. You know that, I guess. But I know how you feel. But this is better than those days, okay? Sometimes you go through something for so long, you think it’s what you are, but really, it’s just something that shows the best sides of you. You know what I mean?” </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“I do.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Good. I know it’s hard, but this is the fun part, Gray. We get to figure out what happy feels like. We can have anything we want.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Gray sighs, "I know."</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“Sure. And what do you want?”</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Gray chuckles nervously. Hesitates. And then he feels a little bit of 'you know what, fuck it'.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1"> “I want you.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu stares at him. “Oh,” he says, and scoots closer so he can press his lips against Gray’s.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Wow,” says Gray, with a stupid expression on his face.<br/>
</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“How many times have you been kissed?” Gray notes that although the fan is on full blast, he is still blazing. Natsu runs his hand down Gray's bare chest. “Tell me the truth.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Once or twice.” Gray is gulping. “They were nothing special.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Really?” Natsu looks up at him. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Shut up, you fuck. I’ve been waiting for the right person.” He’s probably blushing. How sweet. Natsu is flattered.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Am I the right person?” he says, measured but coy, climbing into Gray’s lap, feeling the size of his cock through his apparently thin boxers (when did his pants come of?). He almost jumps, swallowing thickly.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Yeah.” Gray is panting, eyes glistening. He’s staring at their crotches, touching through layers of fabric. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">"You know, if something's important to you.. you probably shouldn't let it get away." Natsu slants his lips against Gray's.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">"I know." Gray replies when they finally break apart.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“You’re so big,” says a shocked Natsu, who then almost dies on the spot of embarrassment before Gray whines a little and shifts eagerly. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“Natsu” he says, breathy and eyes so fully of want that Natsu is almost repelled by it, this blatant show of desire. He almost wants to push away, jump out a window. But the night is a part of them now, and it seeps into the moisture gathering along Gray’s thighs and Natsu's own heartbeat, almost thudding louder than the fan creaking in circles next to them.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu whimpers as Gray licks a stripe across his neck. A man with a heart too warm for this earth. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Mm,” says Natsu, uninhibited. His legs hook around Gray’s hips, wanting more friction. He’s hard, he’s been thinking about this for days, in between streets and missions and sunsets, all the world ablaze. His hips are grinding down, Gray’s hand is underneath his shirt.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu cups the front of Gray’s boxers slyly. Gray moans. He’s so loud. Natsu is so in love with him. “You can be louder than that,” he says, mouth a dagger. He’s nothing but a throb between his legs. He’s nothing but want; wanting a million degrees, to burn the whole solar system.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Gods, fuck,” Gray keeps saying, and Natsu keeps grinning at him. He takes Gray's cock in his hand, slick and full, pumping it slowly. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Yeah ah- shit,” Gray says with reverence, fumbling to get Natsu’s shirt over his head. “You’re so pretty,” he continues. “Jesus.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">Natsu replies, “I know,” and Gray shudders, feeling clumsily around for his nipples, brushing against them with the ends of his fingernails. Natsu is made of sparks, matches, Gray is the gasoline, everything, anything. Everything is on fire. Everything is burning. They're burning it all down.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Look at you,” says Natsu fondly as Gray rolls his hips into his hand. The heat isn’t a hazy fog anymore around them and instead has turned into kindling with the rest of what they have become. Natsu stands up slightly to slip off his own briefs. Gray stares at his bare cock, wide-eyed.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">Gray inhales sharply, and then takes Natsu's cock in his hand, sloppily and with all the force he can muster.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu let himself groan as Gray's thumb swipes across the tip and circles. It feels so good, like nothing he’d ever felt before. “Please, oh-“</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Gray looks up at him. “Can you rub your dick against me?”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Natsu starts. “Against yours?”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“If that’s all right.” Gray looks completely fucked.</p>
  <p class="p2">Natsu presses into him completely, wrapping his arms around Gray's neck. “It’s more than all right.”</p>
  <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Yeah, like </span> <span class="s2">that-“</span></p>
  <p class="p2">They moan, their cocks rubbing against each other, Gray moving his hips up to meet Natsu’s. Natsu moves his hand down to grip them both, squeezing.</p>
  <p class="p2">“Fuck,” whines Natsu, and Gray wants him to make that sound every day until he dies.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Gray,” he groans. “You feel so good.” His hips snap unevenly towards him. “That’s right, give it to me.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Gray stutters all over. “Yeah, yeah-“</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I’m going to come,” says Natsu, head thrown back. “Faster, </span> <span class="s2">please.</span><span class="s1">” Gray obliges. Natsu rubs his thigh with his palm, then his abs, the tops of his arms. He cups Gray’s chin with his hand. They’re so close. He recalls those first days when they had met, getting right in each other’s faces, Gray yelling every other word, furious and childlike.</span></p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">He gives him a slow kiss, biting the edge of his lips. “I want you too.” He swivels his hips just so, rubbing their tips against each other. Natsu’s eyelashes flutter, and Gray knows he’s coming. Natsu isn’t far behind, pushing his cock slower and slower along Gray’s length, precome dribbling onto his skin. </span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“Oh,” he exclaims in the middle of it, coming all over Gray’s dick, fisting his hair and pressing himself close to him as they ride out the last of it, shaking in their pleasure together.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">When they slow to a stop, they’re silent before Gray bursts into laughter. Natsu looks at him in concerned amusement.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">“Stop, no, you were fine, it was great, I just-I'm not confused anymore, I guess,” he laughs, aware he’s incomprehensible.</p>
  <p class="p2">“If that’s what it takes,” Natsu says. He buries his face in Gray’s neck, smiling. “I love you.” It’s a garbled, weighted sentence.</p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“I love you too,” Gray replies, because he’s not afraid, not anymore. “But only if you get me that strawberry popsicle.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">“Anything.” Natsu is practically exuding light.</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p1">
    <span class="s1">Gray knows how he feels. He squeezes his bicep. “Let’s get off the couch. Let’s share a bed. Let’s watch a movie. Fuck, you’re right. The world is ours. We could get ice cream right now if we wanted to.”</span>
  </p>
  <p class="p2">Gray reaches over and presses a hand over Natsu's heart. He doesn’t say it, but that’s where the warmth comes from, that’s where the sun is.</p>
  <p class="p2">Right there.</p>
  <p class="p2"> </p>
  <p class="p2">...</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>uh hi i wrote smut for once :)) ALSO THIS IS SO MESSY LMAO IM SO LAZY WITH MY WRITING</p></blockquote></div></div>
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